Greenland PM warns US seeks control amid Arctic tensions

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen warned that, despite US President Donald Trump ruling out military action, Washington continues to fundamentally seek control over the Arctic island, Reuters reports.

Trump intensified calls for US influence over Greenland earlier this year, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China. Several European NATO allies have defended Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, warning that US pressure could threaten the alliance’s cohesion.

The US president has since stepped back from threats of force, claiming he secured total US access to Greenland under a NATO agreement, though the details remain unclear.

“The view upon Greenland and the population has not changed: Greenland is to be tied to the US and governed from there,” Nielsen said in a speech to the island’s parliament in Nuuk, speaking through a translator. He added that the US continues seeking “paths to ownership and control over Greenland.”

Highlighting the human impact of the tensions, Nielsen noted that the Greenlandic government recently launched a survey of the population’s mental health. “Some of our compatriots have severe sleep problems, children feel the worry and anxiety of adults, and we all live with constant uncertainty about what may happen tomorrow,” he said. “We want to say it very clearly: This is completely unacceptable.”

Diplomatic discussions between the US, Denmark, and Greenland began last week, with senior officials meeting to “discuss how we can address American concerns about security in the Arctic while respecting the Kingdom’s red lines,” Denmark’s foreign ministry said.

Nielsen praised Denmark as a close partner throughout the crisis. He has previously stated that if Greenlanders were forced to choose between the US and Denmark, they would choose Denmark. His speech made no mention of Greenlandic independence.

For the island’s Inuit population, the debate over ownership intersects with cultural values. Under Greenlandic law, individuals can own houses but not the land beneath them, reflecting the Inuit concept of collective land stewardship.

By Vafa Guliyeva